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Conference noted::sf

Title:	Arcana Caelestia
Notice:	Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:	NETRIX::thomas

Created:	Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1300
Total number of notes:	18728

868.0. "Mary Gentle's books" by SAC::WHITAKER_A (The man from Hull) Tue Apr 17 1990 13:05

	Hi,
	   If a "Mary Gentle" topic exists (I could not find one) please 
	move this note.

	I have recently read two novels by Mary Gentle ("Golden Witchbreed"
	and "Ancient Light") and would be interested in hearing other peoples
	comments on them as I thought they were excellent. I don't want to 
	spoil the plot but it concerns a race which has regressed from a 
	very technologically sophisticated civilisation to one which 
	approximates to a middle ages type of civilisation.

	I should point out that the books are more to do with the social
	interactions of the three races and the individuals involved rather
	than the technology. As its narrated from a woman's viewpoint it
	makes a nice change from the usual books I read.

						Andy

	P.S. "Ancient Light" is the sequel to "Golden Witchbreed"

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
868.1	I really liked them both	KYOA::CHURCHE	Nothing endures but change	`Tue Apr 17 1990 16:12`	15
	I have read both these books and thought they were great. spoiler follows But I hated the unhappy ending! Couldn't the author leave those poor people with some way out? How could she do this to us? Get us to like all those great characters and their planet, and then destroy it? I guess I'm just a sentimentalist at heart! This was probably the 'point' of the book anyway. It sort of reminds me of Doris Lessing's books on Shikasta: e.g., The Representative from Planet 8. jc
868.2		FORTSC::KRANTZ	Simple as possible, but no simpler	`Tue Apr 17 1990 22:05`	7
	I haven't read these, but these notes remind me of some stories by Ursula Leguin in The Moon's Twelve Quarters, in which science was outlawed and non-use of comutation and reason was enforced by an inquisition. Talk about anti-intellectualism. -- mikeK
868.3	Trivial Correction	ATSE::WAJENBERG	Color Coagulated	`Wed Apr 18 1990 12:54`	4
	I believe the LeGuin anthology you have in mind is "The Wind's Twelve Quarters," not the Moon's. ESW
868.4		TINCUP::KOLBE	The dilettante debutante	`Wed Apr 18 1990 21:26`	3
	I give a second to "Golden Witchbreed" as a good read. The characters have depth and the natives are different enough to be interesting without being totally alien. liesl
868.5	depressed	ARCANA::CONNELLY	Desperately seeking snoozin'	`Fri Jun 22 1990 04:07`	5
	re: .1 I have to second your comments (behind the spoiler warning). Is there any possibility for a third book?? paul
868.6	I liked it!	AKOV13::ROESSEL		`Wed Jul 11 1990 18:28`	13
	I enjoyed _Golden Witchbreed_ a great deal and _Ancient Light_ almost as much. At times I found myself frustrated with the s'aranth Christie in _Ancient Light_. I was shocked by the way these books end - I wonder if Mary was leading up to that all along, or suddenly ran out of steam? I think a third book is unlikely - but it would open a very different scenario for race/character development. Might be interesting. Failing a third Witchbreed book, I'll be interested to see what Mary comes out with next. - Yvonne